Pressure-regulating valve.



W. ROSS.

PRESSURE REGULAIING VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED O0T.21, 1912.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

AW'UFINEY UMBIA r-uwouRAPH C0,, WASHINGTON. uv c.

FFIQE.

VVILLIAIVI ROSS, OF TROY, NEW YORK.

PRESSURE-REGULATING VALVE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WVILLIAM Ross, a citizen of the United States, residing at Troy, county of Rensselaer, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pressure-Regulating Valves, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to such improvements and consists of the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and subsequently claimed.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, and the reference characters marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Similar characters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein.

Figure 1 of the drawing is a central vertical longitudinal section of my improved pressLire-regulating valve. Fig. 2 1s a plan view of the mutilated controllingvalve seat.

This invention relates in certain of its features to various forms of fluid-pressure regulators wherein a main valve is closed by fluid pressure.

I have shown the invention applied to a preferred form of pressure-regulating valve wherein the main valve is closed or 18 permitted to open by variations in fluid-pressure induced by the opening and closing movement of a controlling valve yieldingly held open, and adapted to be closed by movement of a diaphragm caused by an excess of pressure on the outlet side of the main valve.

Certain objects of the invention are to secure greater accuracy in the operation of such a valve, and a more uniform outlet pressure therefrom.

Other objects will appear in connection with the following description.

Referring to the drawings wherein the invention is shown in preferred form, 1 is the body of the valve-case having a main-valve seat, 2, surrounding a passageway, 3 1, which extends through the valve-case. The fluid enters the valve through the inlet-portion, 3, of the passageway at high pressure and leaves the valve through the outlet-portion, 4, of the passageway at substantially the pressure for which the valve is adjusted. The valve-case has a cylindrical pressurechamber, 5, formed by a flanged cylinder, 6, the flange. 7, of which is bolted in between the body, 1. and the cap. 8, of the valve-case A disk, 9, is bolted in bet-ween the cap, 8, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 21, 1912.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

Serial No. 726,988.

the flange, 7, of the cylinder, 6, said disk forming the end-wall of the pressure-chamher, 5.

The main valve, 10, has a piston-extension, 11, fitting, and reciprocatory within, the pressure-chamber, 5, and the valve, 10, is adapted to be forced to its seat at certain times by the pressure in the pressure-chamber, 5. The piston-extension. 11, is hollow and adapted to receive a hollow post, 12, which projects centrally through the pressure-chamber, 5. from the disk, 9, and is adapted to guide the piston-extension, 11, as the valve. 10. is moved to and from its seat. A coil-spring, 13, mounted within the hollow post, 19, in contact with the valve, 10. tends to start the closing movement of the valve under proper conditions after the valve has been so fully opened that the impact of the flowing fluid prevents or materially retards the action of the pressure-chamber, 5, to close the valve. lVithin the hollow post, 12, is a valve-case. l i, for a. conical controlling valve, 15, which cooperates with a controlling-valve seat, 16, formed on the disk, 9, surrounding an opening therein through which the stem, 17. of the controlling-valve projects. A plurality of small outlet passageways, 18, extend from the pressurechamber, 5, through the valve-seat. 16, their outlet openings being adapted to be closed by the controlling-valve, 15.

A flexible diaphragm. 19, is bolted between the cap, 8, and disk, 9, the disk, 9, being formed with a fluid space. 20, on the inner side of said diaphragm, which space communicates through a passageway, 21, in the disk, 9, and flange, 7, of the cylinder, 6, and space, 29., between said cylinder and the body, 1, of the valve with the outlet portion, 4, of the passageway. 3

When the controlling valve, 15, is open, the outlets, 18, from the pressure-chamber, 5, are in communication with the space, 20, through the aperture which loosely receives the valve-stem, 17, which valve-stem may be grooved as shown. The valve-stem, 17, passes through an opening in the diaphragm, 19. and is fixed to the diaphragm by means of a nut, 23, whereby the valve, 15, partakes of the vibrating movements of the diaphragm.

Fluid under high pressure is supplied to the chamber, 5, from the inlet portion, 3, of the passageway, 3 l. through an openin 24, in the valve, 10, communicating with the interior of the hollow pistonextension, 11, and through one or more grooves, 25, in the contacting surfaces of the piston-extension, 11, and post, 12, A tube, 26, is mounted upon the valve, 10, in connection with the opening, 24, which tube projects from the valve a substantial distance into the passageway, 31, on the inlet side of the valve, and preferably to such a distance that when the valve is open said tube extends beyond the valve seat into the inlet portion of said passageway where it can receive fluid under uniform maximum pressure.

The nut, 23, has a screw-threaded stem, 30, which. extends upward loosely through an opening, 27, in a screw-cap, 28, mounted upon the cap, 8, said stem forming for certain purposes an extension of the valve-stem, 17. A. nut, 31, on the outer end of the screwstem, 30, is adapted to be engaged by the end-wall of the screw-cap, 28, when the cap is suificiently unscrewed, to draw the valve, 15, positively to its seat, thereby locking the main valve closed by reason of the fact that the area of the piston-extension, 11, which is exposed to the pressure in the pressure-chamber, 5, is greater than the area of the valve, 10, which is exposed to the inlet pressure at its seat.

Coil-springs, 32, interposed between the nut, 23, and the end-wall of the screw-cap, 28, tend to yieldingly hold the valve, 15, open against a limited fluid-pressure in the space, 20, to which the diaphragm is exosed.

It will be understood that so long as the valve, 15, remains open, the main valve, 10, will remain open due to the pressure in the chamber, 5, being relieved through the open outlets, 18. Whenever the pressure of the outflow from the main valve exceeds that adapted to be resisted by the springs, 32, such pressure will be exerted through the diaphragm, 19, to close the valve, 15, and the outlets, 18, thus restoring to the chamber, 5, the maximum pressure, thereby forcing the valve, 10, to its seat.

By more or less compressing the springs, 32, by means of the screw-cap, 28, the device can be adjusted for a greater or less outlet pressure.

Washers, 34 and 35, are interposed between the respective ends of the springs, 32, and the end-wall of the screw-cap, 28, and the nut, 23, respectively.

I have shown a sleeve, 36, inclosing the stem, 30, interposed between the nut, 23, and the end-wall of the screw-cap, 28, adapted to form a positive connection between said nut and end-wall, or the intervening washers, 3 1 and 35, to positively lock the valve, 15, open after the screw-cap has been screwed inward beyond the point for regulating the valve to supply fluid under the highest degree of reduced pressure for which the valve is intended. It is thus pos sible to lock the valve either closed, or opened to permit the fluid to pass at maximum pressure, or by proper compression of the springs, 32-, to adapt the valve for the delivery of fluid at any desired degree of reduced pressure.

The valve is operated by means of a handlever, 37, projecting laterally from the screw-cap, 28, said lever having a dog, 38, adapted to enter the several notches, 39, in

the cap, 8, to hold the screw-cap in selected 7 adjusted positions. The several notches may be marked by numbers on the cap to indicate the pressure to which the respective positions of the screw-cap limit the pressure capacitv of the valve.

lVhile the cross sectional area of the outlets, 18, is comparatively small, the pressure of the fluid passing therethrough is high, and where the valve and its seat have con siderable areas of contacting surfaces when closed, it is found that the valve has a tendency to chatter and is not properly balanced in its operation. I therefore mutilate one of said contact surfaces in the intervals between the openings of the passageways, 18, leaving said contact surfaces intact immediately surrounding the respective openings. The mutilated portions of the seat are shown at as in Fig. 2. As shown, the mutilation of the seat consists in removing portions thereof in the intervals between the openings of the passageways, 18, thereby forming grooves or channels through which the fluid can readily escape. This provides an immediate escape for the outflowing fluid at the slightest opening of the valve, so that the valve is balanced in its operation and does not chatter.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a pressure-regulating valve, and in combination, a valve-case provided with a passageway therethrough, and having a pressure chamber in communication with the inlet-portion of said passageway and provided with an outlet; a valve-seat surrounding said passageway; a valve cooperative with said seat having exposed to the pressure in said pressure-chamber a surface of greater area than that exposed to the inlet-pressure at the valve-seat; a flexible diaphragm exposed to the pressure in the outlet-portion of said passageway; a valve in connection with said diaphragm controlling the outlet from the pressure-chamber; positive means for holding said outlet-controlling valve either open or closed; and adjustable yielding means for tending to open said outlet valve.

2. In a pressure-regulating valve, and in combination, a valve-case provided with a passageway therethrough and having a mainvalve-seat, a controlling-valve seat,

and a pressure-chamber provided with an outlet-opening through the controllingvalve seat; a main valve cooperative with said main-valve seat adapted to be closed by pressure in said pressure-chamber; a controlling valve cooperative with said controlling-valve seat, said controlling valve and its seat having surfaces adapted to make contact immediately surrounding said outlet-opening, one of said surfaces being mutilated beyond said contact portion.

3. In a pressure-regulating valve, and in combination, a valve-case provided with a passageway therethrough and having a main-valve seat, a controlling-valve seat, and a pressure-chamber provided with a plurality of outlet-openings through differ-V ent portions of the controlling-valve seat; a main-valve cooperative with said mainvalve seat adapted to be closed by pressure in said pressure -chamber; a controlling valve cooperative with said controllingvalve seat, said controlling valve and its seat having surfaces adapted to make contactimmediately surrounding the respective outlet-openings, one of said surfaces being mutilated in intervals between the portions so adapted to make contact.

4. In a pressure-regulating valve, and in combination, a valve-case provided with a passageway therethrough and having a main-valve seat surounding said passageway, a controlling-valve seat and a pressurechamber provided with outletopenings through said controlling-valve seat; a main valve cooperative with the main valve seat having a piston-extension fitting, and reciprocatory in, said pressurechamber, said pressure-chamber being in communication with the inlet-portion of said passageway; a flexible diaphragm exposed to the pressure of the outlet-portion of said passageway; a

controlling valve cooperative with the controlling-valve seat having a stem connected with said diaphragm, said controlling valve and its seat having urfaces adapted to con tact immediately surrounding the respective outlet-openings, one of said surfaces being mutilated in the intervals between the portions so adapted to make contact; and yielding means tending to open said controlling valve.

5. In a pressure -regulating and controlling valve, and in combination a valve-case provided with a passageway therethrough and having a main-valve seat, a controllingvalve seat and a pressure-chamber provided with an outlet-opening through the controlling-valve seat; a main valve cooperative with said main seat adapted to be closed by pressure in said pressure-chamber; a controlling valve cooperative with said controlling-valve seat; a flexible diaphragm exposed to the pressure of the outlet-portion of said passageway; a valve controlling the outlet from the pressure-chamber having a stem connected with said diaphragm; inner and outer abutments on said stem; a sleeve inclosing said stem adapted to connect with said inner abutment thereon; a screw member mounted on said case adapted when screwed fully inward to engage said sleeve and thereby hold said controlling valve open, and adapted when screwed fully outward to engage said outer abutment on said stem to hold said controlling valve closed; and a pring interposed between said screw-member and said inner abutment.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of October, 1912.

lVILLIAM ROSS. lVitnesses Ross A. LEDUC, GERTRUDE lWI. Prrz.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C." 

